If you love to shop, dive in: St. Thomas has the best shopping plaza in the Caribbean. Dazzling diamonds, fragrant perfume, designer duds, shiny electronics and potent liquor stream from the cobblestones of Main Street (also known by its Danish name, Dronningens Gade) in Charlotte Amalie. And just like you've read in travel book after travel book, it's all duty-free.

But if you're not in the mood to shop, stay away, particularly in the late morning and early afternoon. Narrow Main Street is an assault to the senses, filled with vacationers straight from the cruise dock and plenty of solicitors beseeching you to visit their stores. The surrounding area of Charlotte Amalie is clogged with tourist taxis trying to drop visitors off as close to the shops as possible.

A word to the wise: Even if you hope to avoid the rush, you also don't want to go to Main Street to shop too late in the day. Some shops close as early as 5 or 6 p.m. Frequent visitors say the sweet spot is around 3 p.m. While you're waiting to shop in Charlotte Amalie, consider walking to nearby Emancipation Garden or Market Square, both of which are great for picture-taking.